The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1887-09-29

anu agreeing upon plans Tor the early
construction of a line to that city. Aid
has already been voted in favor of the
project, and it will require great deal
Of work to divert the line this way.
John B. Finch is the best field piece
of the prohibitionists, and the Young
Women's Christian Temperance union
let him off in Canton last Monday eve
ming. Finch is no orator, as was Bru-
tus, but is a plain man who speaks
right on the things he knows are not
so-hoping thereby to induce people
to vote the ticket he uphoids.
The prohibitionist discloses a most
abiding faith in statute law as reme-
dy for every evil. Intemperance they
argue is a gigantic evil, therefore
let us legis!ate it out of exist
ence. This position betrays a most
lamentable ignorance at once of the
constitution of human nature, of the
causes which conspire to induce in
temperance and the just scope and
province of government. Intemper-
ance is an expression of the condition
of a mans moral development. 1t
| pertains entirely and exclusively to
the realm of his moral nature and it is
rational only to refer its correction to
moral means, to the development and
education of his moral nature. II is a
vice like unchastity, and must be
eradicated by proper education. His
moral nature must be cultivated and
nourished and expanded until it at
tains an Independent self. sustaining
life and strength, and then intemper-
ance and all other vices will disappear
from the very nature of the conditions.
But the prohibitionist is visionary.
The processes of growth and develop
ment are all too slow for him. He
would construct a royal highway to
millenial Developments short cut to
moral excellence. With his back
against all history and his face turned
from all reason he exultingly cham
pions the medieval theory that virtue
is the child of statute enanctment;
that it can be breathed into being by
legislation, and sustained, directed and
developed by force of law.
That intemperance is as old as man;
that it has place in the history of ev-
cry race and nation; that it has ever
been found among all sorts and con-
ditions of men, would suggest to the
careful student of human development
that it is an evil which is the out
growth of many conspiring causes
operative over a stretch of time reach
ing back farther than the dawn of hu-
man history. The remedy must be
sought through many avenues, which
will disclose themselves only to the |
painstaking, patient, conscientious
student of human development. But
the average prohibitionist, the prohi-
bitionist of the John B. Finch school,
is not student; he is superficial The
magnitude of no problem appals him.
We do not believe we do him injustice
in saying it never receives his notice.
He has just one dlchemic formula for
every evil. He does not need to know
or care what is the nature of the prob
lem with which he has to DEAL His |
remedy is law. He is a victim to the |
delusion that every ill that flesh is
heir to can be reached and remedied |
by zuw. His conception of the true
province of government is just as
his notions of morality. He thinks
government is something of a pater-
nal character-that it sustains about |
the same relation to the individual |
that parent does to child; that it is |
it's province to look after and guide
and direct the individual in all his |
modes of thou 1ght and actions. He
deems government sort of superin-
tendent of individual affairs. He has
an idea that he knows what is good
for every individual, and that if that
idea can only be rested in law that all
will be we'll. A more invidious and
dangerous doctrine was never advo-
Gated by shallow school. A govern
ment is an institution erected to Sc
cure the individual people in their
rights not to take away the natural
rights they have. The government has
no more rights, nor so many, as the
individual 1t is not the province of
government to deprive man of his
liberty and his consequent responsible
ity. 1t is sense of responsibility that
makes one a man. If an individual
may be hedged in by restrictive rules
depriving him of his liberty and the
exercise of his personal responsibility;
his every move mapped out out by
law, and he forced to follow in pre-
determined course, what will he be-
come more other than a puppet and
an easy prey to designing and dipping
Influences! If we admit the principle
of restriction in individual matters.
where will the process end? 1t is only
aquestion of degree when law shall
regulate what we eat, wear, what mu-
sic or pastimes we may have, when we
may laugh, etc, rs was done in New
England one hundred years ago.
Prohibition principles constitute a
step of retrogression toward the social
and governmental tyrannies of the
past, which all good people deplore. 1t |
Is a return to the brute force and |
methods which were prevailing no.
tions of government before science tx
plored and the newspaper taught
more practical knowledge of man and